judge kavanaugh. we welcome you. are you ready? i have a -- i have something i want to clear up from the last meeting that doesn't >> judge cavanagh we welcome you. something that i want to hear it from the last meeting that does not affect you so before i swear you. but i would like you to explain my response to senator kennedy right after the break. at that time i entered into the record the statements of three's witnesses doctor ford said were at the party they were provided under penalty of penalty that if you lie to congress as soon as my team learned the name of these

witnesses we reached out to them requesting an interview. and in response all three submitted statements to us to deny any knowledge of the gathering as described by doctor ford. if we had calls of that we would have invited the minority to join anytime we have received any information regarding judge cavanagh we sought to immediately follow up and investigate the minority staff sat on doctor ford letter forug weeks and staff told us they believe it is h quote to be highly inappropriate before the fbi finishes their investigation even though the fbi had completed the background information. when we followed up with the judge cavanagh after doctor

forr delegations. even though these are usually done on a bipartisan basis. that they did not participate so we please rise. >> do you affirm the testimony is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god? >> i do. >> like we sent to doctor ford take whatever time you want for your opening statement then we will go to questions. proceed. >> chairman, ranking member feinstein and members of the committee thank you for allowing me to make my statement i wrote it myself yesterday afternoon and evening.

nobody has seen a draft except a former law clerk. this is my statement. less than two weeks ago doctor ford publicly accused me of committing wrongdoing at an event more than 36mmen years ago when we were both in a school. i denied the allegation categorically unequivocally. all four people allegedly were at the event including doctor ford's long-term friend ms. keiser who said there was no such event under penalty of penalty that she does not know me and never saw me at a party ever.

here is the quote. simply put does not know mister kavanaugh or any recollection to be where he was present with or without doctor ford". think about that fact the day after the allegation appeared i told this committee i wanted a hearing as soon as possible to clear my name for quite demanded a hearing the very next day. unfortunately it took the committee ten days to get to this hearing and as was predictable my family and my

name have totally and permanently been destroyed hnharmlse accusations. when this allegation first arose i welcomed any type of investigation senate or fbi or otherwise it has now conducted a thorough investigation i have cooperated fully i know any type of investigation senate, fbi, montgomery county police, whatsoever will clear me. listen to the people i know. listen to the people that have known me my whole life the people i have grown up with. who i worked with and coach with and dated and have fears with. listen to w the witnesses who allegedly were at this event 36 years ago. listen to ms. keiser. she does not know me. i was not at the party described by doctor ford.

this confirmation process has become a national disgrace. the constitution gives the senate an important role that you place advice and consent with search and destroy. since my nomination in july there is a frenzy on the left to come up with anything to block my confirmation.d, the senate leader said he would oppose me with everything he has got

cal threat against my family, to send any violent e-mail to my wife, to make any kind of allegations against me and against my friends, to blow me up and take me down. for decades to come i fear the

country will reap the whirlwind. the behavior of several of the democratic members of this committee at my hearing a few weeks ago was an embarrassment, but at least it was a good old-fashioned attempt at working. those efforts didn't work. when i did at least okay enough at the hearings that it looked like i might actually get confirmed a new tactic was needed. some of you were lying in wait and had it ready. this first allegation was held in secret for weeks by a democratic member of this committee and by staff. it would be needed only if you couldn't take me out on the merit. when it was needed this allegation was unleashed and publicly deployed over dr. ford's wishes. and then -- and then as no-doubt was expected if not planned,

came a long series of false, last-minute smears designed to scare me and drive me out of the process before any hearing occurred, crazy stuff, gangs, illegitimate children, fights on boats in rhode island, all nonsense reported breathlessly and often uncritically by the media. this has destroyed my family and my good name. a good name built up through decades of very hard work and public service at the highest levels of the american government. this whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit fuelled with apparent pent-up anger about president trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my

and millions of dollars of money from opposition groups. this is a circus the consequences will extend long past my nomination and consequences will be with us for decades and carry my --dash character assassination of all political persuasions from serving our country as we know the political system in the early 2000 what goes around comes around. i am optimistic. i try to be on the sunrise side of the mountain. but today, i have to say i fear for the future.

last time i was here i told this committee a federal judge must be independent not swayed by public or political pressure. i will not be intimidated you have tried hard and given it your all. no one can question your efforts. har your coordinated well-funded efforts has destroyed my good name and my family will not drive me out. the threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. you may defeat me in the final vote you'll never get me to quit. never. i am here today to tell the truth. i've never sexually assaulted anyone. nine high school, noncollege.

not ever. sexual assault is horrific one of my closest friends to this day in her thirties confided about me and i was one of the only people she consulted.d.cod. allegations must always be taken seriously. at the same time the person who was the subject of the allegation also deserves to be heard. dueou process is rule of law it means listening to both sides. that they told you that my hearing three weeks ago i am an only child of mark

kavanaugh and he is here today. when i was ten my mom went to law m school and as a lawyer she overcame barriers including sexual workplace harassment that so many face and she was a trailblazer one of maryland's earliest prosecutors and trial judges they taught me the importance of quality and respect for all people and inspired me to be a lawyer and judge. last time i was here i told you when my mom was a prosecutor and i was in high school she is to practice her closing arguments at the dining room table. her trademark line was use your common sense what rings true. what rings false. her trademark line is a good

reminder as we sit here today, 36 years after the alleged event occurred. when there is no corroboration and indeed it is refuted by the people allegedly they are. after i was in the public arena 26 years without even a hint or a width of an allegation like this. when my nomination to the supreme court was just about to be voted t upon and then i'm called evil by a democratic member of this committee will democratic opponents of my nomination said people will die if i am confirmed. this onslaught of last-minute allegations does not ring true. i am not questioning that doctor ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person, in someplace, in some time.

but it is not who i am or not who i was. i am innocent of this charge. i have no ill will to doctor ford and her family the other night my daughters said their prayers and eliza ten years ol old, said to ashley, we should pray for the woman. a lot of wisdom from a ten -year-old. we mean no ill will. first, starting with my caree career, for the last 26 years

since 1992, i have served in many high profile and sensitive government positions for which the fbi has investigated my background six separate times.nd six separate times over 26 years all of them after the event alleged here. i have been in the public arena and scrutiny for decades. 1992 i worked for the office of solicitor general and department of justice andti a 1993 i clerked on the supreme court for justice kennedy. i spent four years at the independent counsel's office in the 19 nineties that was subject of enormous scrutiny from the media and the public. in the year of impeachment of presidentpe clinton i personally

in the middle of an intense spotlight i and other leading members opposition research from head to toe from birth to present day we call the people hewho were exposed in 1998 with sexual wrongdoing or indiscretions. one person on the left paid $1 million for people to report evidence and exposed to prominent people that nothing about me. 2001 through 2006 i worked for george w. bush i was by president bush's side over three years i traveled on air force o one i went everywhere

from texas to pakistan buckingham palace to the vatican five and a half years in the white house. i was nominated to be a judge with the dc circuit thoroughly vetted by the white house and fbi, the american bar association and this committee. i have been in front of this o for two thorough confirmation hearings 2004 in 2006. for the past 12 years leading up to my nomination for this job i have served in a very public arena as a federal judge as the second most

important court in the country handling some of the most significant cases affecting the lives and liberties of the american people. i have been a good judge another fbi background investigation another american bar association investigation. 31 hours of hearings 65 senator meetings 1200 written questions more than all supreme court nominees combined.ir throughout my 53 years through last week no one ever accused me of sexual misconduct a lifetime of public service and high profile public service at the highest levels of american government. never a hint of anything of this kind because nothing like this ever happens.

second, turning to specifics, i categorically unequivocally deny the allegation from doctor ford i never had any encounter i never attended a gathering like she describes in her allegation. i never sexually assaulted doctor ford or anyone. i'm not questioning she may have been assaulted by some person in someplace or at some time. doctor ford's allegation stems from a party in 1982, 36 years ago. i was 17 years old a rigorous

all boys catholic jesuit high school. when my friends and i spent time together at parties usually with friends from nearby catholic all girl high schools. doctor ford did not attend one of those school she attended an independent private school and one year behind me. and did not travel in the same social circles it is possible we met at some point at some events but i do not recall that. to repeat all people identified as being present at the party say they do not remember any such party ever happening.

importantly, her friend miss kaiser has not only denied knowledge of the party , she said under penalty of ten felony she does not know me. she is not recall ever being at a party with me ever. in may 2 male friends knew me well and have told this committee under penalty of felony that they do not recall any such party and never did or would do anything like this. doctor ford's allegation is not merely corroborated but refuted by the very people she says were there including a long time friend of hers. refuted. she said this occurred at a house at the corner of connecticut and the east-west highway in chevy chase

maryland. and that there were four other people at the house so doctor ford was 15 and could not drive yet. she did not live near a ncountry club and says constantly she had one beer at the party but does not say how she got to the house in question or whose house it was. fourth, i have submitted to this activity - - committee account of my activities summer of 1982. why do i keep calendars? my dad kept detailed calendars of his life in 1978.

he did so as a calendar and a diary. a very organized guy to put it mildly. at christmas time we sit around and tell stories. and in ninth grade in 1980 i started to keep calendars of my own. it is also a calendar and a

diary i have kept those for the last 38 years. mine are not as good as my dad' dad's. and when i was a kid they calendars are what you would expect from a kid some goofy parts and embarrassing parts. but i did have the summer of 1982 documented pretty well. presumably happening on weekend everybody worked and had jobs in the summers with a drunken early event the kind she described presumably happened on the weekend. if it was a weekend, my calendar show i was out of town almost every weekend

night before feet long - - football training camp started in late august. the only weekend nights was friday june 4th i was with my dad at a pro golf tournament. in my high school achievement test at 830 the next morning. i was in dc saturday night auguh at a small gathering in rockville matt, denise, lori and jenny their names are all listed on the calendar. i will not use their last names here. been on the weekend of augus aud we did final preparations for football training camp as a calendar is confirmed that

weekend before brutal training camp was scheduled was no time for parties. if the party described in the summer of 1982, on a weekend night, my calendar shows definitively that i was not there. during the weekdays summer 1982 as you can see i was out of town two weeks for the summer with trips to the beach and that legendary five-star basketball camp in a.pennsylvania.

when i was in town i spent much of my time working, working out, lifting weights, playing basketball hanging out and having beers with friends talking about life in football and school and girls. some noticed i do not have church on sundays on my calendars i also did not list brushing my teethhu going to church on sunday was like brushing my teeth. automatic and still is. in the summer of 1981 working construction cutting lawns. i had my own business you can see some specifics on the august calendar page and i had to cut those before football training camp. many nights i would work out with other guys at tobin's

house. he was a great quarterback on our football team and his dad ran the workouts. or lifting weights at georgetown prep in preparation for football season i attended many sportingan events. it shows a few weekends gatherings after the work out to meet up and have some beers. but none of those include a group of people that doctor ford has identified. in my calendar is very precise about who was there. very precise keep in mind they were also diaries forward import backward looking just like my dad's you can see i

crossed out missed workouts and cancel doctors appointments listing the people who showed up for certain events. the calendars obviously do not stand alone but another piece of evidence in the mix for you to consider. doctor ford's allegation is radically inconsistent by record and character from youth through present day at an all catholic jesuit school many became friends and remain friends to this day at local catholic all girl schools.

one feature of my life through the present day we always have a lot of close female friends. i'm not talking about girlfriends but friends who are women. that started in high school. maybe because i'm an only child but we had no social media and we talked on the phone. i remember talking almost every night to amy or julie. or kristin or karen. or megan or nikki. the list goes on. friends for a lifetime.or several of those great women

are seated behind me today. my friends and i will get together and have parties on weekends the drinking age was 18 i drink beer with my friends almost everyone did. sometimes i had too many beers. sometimes others did. i like beer. i still like beer. but i did not drink beer to the point of blacking out and i never sexually assaulted anyone. there is a fine line between drinking beer which i fully embrace and sexually assaulting someone which is a violent crime.

if every american who drinks beer in high school is suddenly presumed guilty of sexual assault we are at an ugly new place. i never committedin sexual assaul assault. sometimes we did guilty or stupid things. for one thing yearbook was a disaster. i think some editors and students wanted it to be a combination of animal house and caddy shack and the fast times at ridgemont high which are all movies at that time. some of us went along to the point of absurdity in this past week we have cringed when

we read about it and talk to each other. t >> one thing in particular, one of our good female friends had her tate long - - her name to show affection as she was one of us but in this circus, the medias interpreted

it related to saxon it was not related to sex. the woman herself for the media on the record never had any sexual interactions at all. i'm so sorry to her for that yearbook reference. >> this may sound a bit trivial given all that we are here for but to make sure of in the future is my friendship with he her. she was and is a great person. as the sex, it is not a topic i ever imagined would come up in a judicial confirmation hearing. i never had sexual intercourse or anything close to it.

in some crowds may be shy and i tried to hide that at the same time inwardly proud and for me and the girls i was friends with with rampant sexual activity in high school was faith and respect and caution. the committee has a letter from 65 women from high school. and said i treated them with dignity and respect. that letter came together one night 35 years after graduation while sexual assault allegations was pending againsta sex me in a vey

public situation where they knew i would be vilified if they defended me. think about that. they put themselves on the line for me. those are some awesome women. you also have a letter from women who knew me in cle college most for varsity athletes they describe i treated them as friends and equals supported them in sports and it was emerging in the wake of title ix. i think all of them for their text messages and e-mails and support one of those women

friends self-described liberal and feminist sent a test one - - a text message that said "deep breath. you are a good man. a good man. a good man. a good man. a text yesterday from another woman friend said brett, be strong i am pulling for you from my core. the third text yesterday from those women said i am holding you in the light of god and as i said in my opening statement cherish your friends look out for your friends and lift up your friends love your friends.

i felt that love more the last two weeks than i ever have in my life. thank you to my friends i love all my friends. throughout my life i have devoted huge efforts promoting the careers of women i will put my record up against anyone, male or female. i am proud of a letter from 84 women, 84 women working with me at the bush white house through 2006 to ask long - - call me the man of the highest integrity read the op-ed from sarah working in oval office operations outside of president bush's office. here's what she wrote

recently. today she stands by her comments brett was an advocate for young women likeen me. and during the 2004 national convention brett gave me the opportunity to help with the preparationn to review the president's remarks something they never would've had the chance to do. he didn't just include me in the work but to make sure madison square garden to watch the president speech instead of the back of thens hotel". as a judge since 2006 having law school graduates serving as law school clerks each year

they are the best and brightest graduates. theyey work for one year terms after law school then they move on in their careers. training these young lawyers is an important responsibility. judges and senators just after i took the bench in 2006 a major new york times story about the low numbers of women law clerks to the supreme court in a federal appeals courts. i took notice and i took action the majority of my 48 tlaw clerks have been women.

the women law clerks that i was one of the strongest advocates in the federal judiciary for women lawyers. the legal profession is fair and more equal because of me with my time on the bench no a federal judge, not a single one in the country has sent more women to clerk on the supreme court than i have. before this allegation arose two weeks ago i was required to start making certain for administrative preparations for a possible transfer to the supreme court in case it was confirmed.o so i had to contingently hire for law clerks to be available to clerk at a moments notice. i contingently hired for clerks all for our women.

if confirmed the first justice in the history of the supreme court to have a group of all women law clerks. that is who i am. that is who i was. over the past 12 years i taught constitutional law to hundreds of students primarily a harvard law school. hired by justice kagan. a democrat testified to the committee i was an evenhanded professor to treat people fairly in a letter to this committee my former students wrote that i displayed a character that impressed us all. i love teaching law but thanks to what some of you have

unleashed i may not be able to teach again. for the past seven years i've coached my two daughters basketball teams you saw many of those girls when they came to my hearing for a couple of hours. you have a letter from the parents of the girls that i coach and on translates from the basil court translates to life. i love scorching - - coaching but i may never be able to coach again. i have been a judge for 12

years and a long record of service. to america in the constitution i revere the constitution i am deeply grateful to president trump to nominate me to be so gracious that night the at theement nomination white house. i think him for his steadfast support. >> we knew the process would be challenging. we never expected it would evolve into this. explaining this to our daughters has been the worst experience of our lives. ashley has been a rock and i thank god every day for ashley. and my family.

to be devoted to do process and the rule of law to take allegations seriously but if the mere allegation on 36 years ago enough to destroy a person's life and career that those basic principles to define the legal system in our rindcountry. i ask you to judge me from the standard you would apply to your father, your husband, your brother or your son.

my family intends no ill will to doctor ford or her family. that before the senate and the nation before my family and go god, i am innocent of this charge. >> thank you judge kavanaugh. before we start questions, i will not repeat what i said this morning that we will do it the same way as we did for doctor ford. five minute rounds. we will start with miss mitchel miss mitchell. >> good afternoon judge kavanaugh. we have not met my name is rachel mitchell i like to go over a couple of guidelines for the question and answer

session. >> i'm ready. >> if i ask the question you do not understand please ask me to clarify her in a different way. i may ask a question where i incorporate some information you have already provided it if i get it wrong please correct me. i'm not going to ask you to guess let me know if you were estimating. all of the committee members have gotten a copy of sexual behavior quick. d w>> and you have that as well judge kavanaugh quick. >> first of all have you been given a copy of the questions i will be asking you quick. >> know. >> is anybody told you the

questions quick. >> noo. >> i would like to take a moment to review sexual behavior. >> have you had a chance to review quick. >> may i refer back quick. >> to specific parts, among those examples it includes rubbing your genitals againstst somebody and i would also point out the definition

applies whether it was sexually motivated or horseplay. do you understand the definition i have given you quick. >> i do if you need to review that please let me know. doctor ford has stated somewhere between five or six people are present at the gathering on the state you and mark and leeland and patrick smith, doctor ford in an unnamed source. do you know mark judge quick. >> i do how do you know him quick. >> we met in ninth grade as a

friendly group from georgetown. a funny guy and a great writer. popular. and near death a couple a times. and suffer tremendously. >> what is your relationship like right now quick. >>. >>. >> also ninth grade he went by

pj then and to have the defensive tackle and wide receiverer and i didn't have a car so those that drove every day they would pick me up. >> what is your relationship like now quick. >> in the area wehi have seen once in a while i've not seen him since this thing. > do you know the leeland kaiser crack. >> i know of her. but i know of her.

>> similar to your statements about knowing doctor ford quick. >> senator feinstein. >> judge kavanaugh, it is my understanding you have denied the allegations byva doctor ford and t9. is that correct quick.ford >> yes the fbi to investigate their claims and t9. i listen carefully to what you said your concern is evident and clear and if you are confident of your position as you appear to be then why aren't you also asking the fbi to investigate these claims? >> i will do whatever the committee wants.

and to be here that day to be on boats on rhode islandno are gangs it is printed and run recklessly by cable news i wanted a hearing the next day. whatever the committee decides i am all in immediately.ho we are not in a position to prove or disprove it. >> so i just seems to me when the allegations come forward you want the fbi to

claims those claims >> senator, the committee . . . .

the swetnick thing is a joke. that is a farce. >> would you like to say more about it? >> no. >> okay. that's it, thank you, mr. chairman. >> miss mitchell? >> okay. >> dr. ford has described you as being intoxicated at a party. did you consume alcohol during your high school years? >> yes, we drank beer. my friends and i. boys and girls. yes, we drank beer. i liked beer. still like beer. we drank beer. the drinking age as i noted was 18 so the seniors were legal. senior year in high school, people were legal to drink. and we -- yeah, we drank beer and i said sometimes -- sometimes probably had too many beers and sometimes other people had too many beers. we drank bee rerr. we liked beer.

>> what do you consider to be too many beers? >> i don't know. you know, we -- whatever the chart says. blood alcohol chart. >> when you talk to fox news the other night, you said there were times in high school when people might have had too many beers on occasion. does that include you? >> sure. >> have you ever passed out from drinking? >> passed out would be no, but i've gone to sleep. i've never blacked out. that's the allegation. and that's wrong. >> so let's talk about your time in high school. in high school, after drinking, did you ever wake up in a different location than you remembered passing out or going to sleep? >> no. no. >> did you ever wake up with your clothes in a different condition or fewer clothes on than you remembered when you

went to sleep or passed out? >> no. no. >> did you ever tell -- did anyone ever tell you about something that happened in your presence that you didn't remember during a time that you had been drinking? >> no. the -- we drank beer and, you know, so did i think the vast majority of people our age at the time. in any event, we drank beer and still do. so whatever, yeah. >> during the time in high school when you would be drinking, did anyone ever tell you about something that you did not remember? >> no. >> dr. ford described a small gathering of people at a suburban maryland home in the summer of 1982. she said that mark judge, p.j. smith, and leland ingham also

were present as well as an unknown male. and that the people were drinking to varying degrees. were you ever at a gathering that fits that description? >> no. as i've said? my opening statements. opening statement. >> dr. ford described an incident where she was alone in a room with you and mark judge. have you ever been alone in a room with dr. ford and mark judge? >> no. >> dr. ford described an incident where you were grinding your genitals on her. have you ever ground or rubbed your genitals against dr. ford? >> no. >> dr. ford described an incident where you covered her mouth with your hand. have you ever covered dr. ford's mouth with your hand? >> no. >> dr. ford described an incident where you tried to remove her clothes. have you ever tried to remove her clothes? >> no. >> referring back to the definition of sexual behavior that i have given you, have you

ever at any time engaged in sexual behavior with dr. ford? >> no. >> have you ever engaged in in sexual behavior with dr. ford even if it was consensual? >> no. >> i want to talk about your calendars. you submitted to the committee copies of the handwritten calendars that you've talked about for the months of may, june, july, and august of 1982. do you have them in front of you? >> i do. >> did you create these calendars in the sense of all the handwriting that's on them? >> yes. >> okay. is it exclusively your handwriting? >> yes. >> when did you make these entries? >> in 1982. >> has anything changed -- been changed for those since 1982? >> no. >> do these calendars represent

your plans for each day or do they document, in other words, perspectively, or do they document what actually occurred, more like a diary? >> they're both forward looking and backward looking, as you can tell by looking at them because i cross out certain doctors appointments that didn't happen or one night where i was supposed to lift weights, i crossed that out because i obviously didn't make it that night. so you can see things that i didn't do crossed out in retrospect and also when i list the specific people who i was with, that is likely backward looking. >> you explain that you kept these calendars because your father started keeping them in 1978, i believe you said. >> uh-huh. >> that's why you kept them, in other words, you wrote on them, but why did you keep them up until this time? >> well, he's kept them, too, since 1978. so he's a good role model.

>> miss mitchell? we'll have to -- >> oh, i'm sorry. >> judge kavanaugh has asked for a break. we'll take a 15-minute break. >> judge, i won't start until you tell me you're ready. >> i'm ready. >> okay. i'm going to wait for senator feinstein.